Folding chair or seat.



' No. 789,338. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

W. J. SHORTALL. FOLDING CHAIR OR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1904.

Ede. 789,338.

MITIEU tiiramns Patented May 9, 1905.

ATIEIT FFIQIE.

FOLDING Gi l/Mil i OH SEAT,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,338, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed June 2, 1904. Serial No. 210.761.

To ILZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, W IL'LIAM J. SnoR'rALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Biltmore, in the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs or Seats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in chairs or seats, and comprises the novel features herein described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The object of my invention is to produce a folding stool or seat of a portable character simple and cheap in construction, convenient to carry, strong, and well adapted to any use in which a portable seat would be of advantage. In a larger size the device may be used as a table.

The drawings show my device in its preferred form.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in its opened position. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device opened. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device closed.

In my device I have sought to produce a stool or seat which shall be a practical device, strong, cheap, capable of folding into a compact form which maybe conveniently carried anywhere, and when wanted may be opened out to make a strong and comfortable seat.

I have shown the top or seat portion of my device A as composed of a series of slats secured together by cross-strips a. at their ends. It is evident that this may be modified in large measure, especially by combining a number of the central slats into a board of some Width.

I use four legs L, the two at each end of the stool being joined by a cross-bar L and preferably also by cross-bars F F. Each end leg-frame is pivoted at L to the top within a slot which when the stool is folded receives the legs L, whereby when folded the thickness is not materially greater than the thickness of the top.

When in the open position, the top and legs are braced by rods B, the shape of which are clearly shown in Fig. 3. The ends of these are pivoted at Z) to the legs, as by clips 0, and converge toward their middle portion, making a shape resembling roughly a letter W.

The apex of the V has a short straight transverse part I), which when the stool is opened [its in a notch (a in a block E or any other suitable device by which it may be held. They may then both be locked in place by a button D, pivoted at (Z to the block E.

With a proper positioning of the parts the legs may be locked in closed position by making the ends of this button overlap one or both of the cross-bars F and F, as shown in Fig. 3.

To prevent interference of the brace-rods B, I prefer that the pivot of one be beneath the surface of the leg and the other outside this surface, as is shown in Fig. 1. I also prefer to offset portions 7" of the rod F, so as not to interfere with the brace-rod B. The central portionf" may, however, be brought back to the same level as the ends.

To facilitate the locking of the brace-rods by the button, I have shown the apex of the V formed by these rods as being bent to one side, as is shown in Fig. 1, whereby the end of the button moves freely over the end of the rod. The ends of the top may when desired be bound with thin sheet metal, as at H, which strengthens it. A handle G may be attached for convenience in carrying, if desired.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a folding structure of the character described, the combination with a top, of legs pivotally connected at the ends thereof, transverse braces intermediately secured to said legs, ti-shaped braces pivotally secured to the legs, a notched member attached beneath the top and adapted to receive the ends of said braces, and a turn-button for retaining the brace ends in engagement with the notched member to maintain the legs in a pendent position, or for alternately engaging the legbraces to hold the legs and the braces folded parallel within the top.

Signed at Biltmore, in the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, this lath day of May, A. D. 1904.

IVILLIAM J. SHORTALL. Witnesses:

R. G. HUNT, Burns S. ROAOH. 

